The Dancer In You
by LadyV77
Summary: -Step Up 2- Director Collins auditions a girl with familiar moves. When he looks into her previous dance instruction, he finds out why. Futurefic, AndieBlake. Mentions of TylerNora.
1. Chapter 1

**Title****:** The Dancer In You

**Summary****:** [Step Up 2] Director Collins auditions a girl with familiar moves. When he looks into her previous dance instruction, he finds out why. Futurefic, AndieBlake. Mentions of TylerNora.

**Disclaimer****:** Don't own it. Have the soundtrack and the DVD, though. Original characters such as Carlo and various students are mine, as is the story.

**Author's Note****:** From the first time I saw Step Up 2, I thought Andie had a lot more chemistry with Blake than she did with blondie. I've read a few BlakeAndie fics (well, the beginnings of some, anyway, as most of them seem to be abandoned), but they always involve her still being his student and have to deal with the moral and legal issues stemming from the situation. I wanted to do something a little different.

This story is slightly AU from the movie in that Andie and Chase were never romantically involved (no tree flirting or in-the-rain kiss), but they are good friends. Almost six years have passed since the night the MSA Crew took The Streets outside. I'm assuming Blake was 24 in the movie (it doesn't seem too far off base to think the "legend" would have graduated from MSA when he was 14) and that Chase and Andie were 17. So they are now 30 and 23 respectively.

**Reading Key****:** _Italics _indicate emphasis. One "x TDIY x" left justified is a change of point of view (starting next chapter since this one is all Blake's POV). Centered line breaks of multiple "x TDIY x"s equal a scene change.

x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x

x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x

It was the beginning of Blake Collins' seventh year as Dance Director at the Maryland School of the Arts, and he and the other dance instructors were holding auditions for the new academic season. Chase sat, sprawled, in a folding chair at the end of the table, in charge of the music system as had become tradition. His younger brother, now an instructor in the Modern Dance division of the school, still acted bored when the more classically trained hopefuls performed. But he'd never once tried to get out of the duty. Evidently the odd unconventional applicant was enough to retain Chase's interest in the process.

They had been through eight dancers… the musicians and actors had their own separate auditions the previous day and Blake wasn't a part of those… before Chase became more alert. Oddly, at least to Blake's mind, the student-hopeful was dressed in a conservative ballet leotard and tights. After handing her application to him, she gave her iPod to Chase along with a friendly smile. Chase smiled back and winked. Blake's eyebrows rose. He didn't think his brother was into younger girls, and certainly not this young, but it was obvious the two knew each other.

Blake paid particular attention to the girl, trying to see if maybe she was the daughter of a family friend or someone else they knew through work. But her identity remained a mystery. Even when the classical music for her audition piece transitioned seamlessly to a more hip hop beat. The girl's dancing also blended one form into another, ballet skills becoming more forceful and precise until she was street dancing. There was something familiar about some of her moves, but Blake couldn't put his finger on precisely what it was.

Since his first eventful year as Dance Director, Blake had immersed himself in whatever he could discover about street dance. At first it had been to further develop the class he'd added to MSA's schedule of offered courses. It had become something of a hobby after that. The movements of street dance were, in a way, more restrictive than ballet and other dance styles. But the energy and emotion evident from most of its performers was amazing. He was too conditioned in classical ballet to ever attempt street dance himself, but he had become a fan of observing it. Blake even sat in on some of Chase's classes when his own schedule allowed it.

But even having seen a lot of this type of dancing and recognizing that like other forms of dance there were only so many combinations of moves that could be performed, it seemed like there was something he was missing as he watched the girl's routine wind down. Something kept prodding him with the thought that he should know why her dancing was familiar. As the girl left the stage to collect her iPod, Blake thanked her as was customary.

She smiled, a gesture that brightened considerably when Chase told her, "Great job, Kate."

As the next applicant came in, Blake put Kate's application aside to check it over more thoroughly when they were done. Two hours later, despite giving full attention to the rest of the applicants, Blake was still pondering Kate's familiarity. He granted the other teachers a fifteen-minute break before they would compare notes on the auditions. All but Chase left the auditorium. Pulling the application he had set aside back to him, Blake read through it quickly, stopping when he read the name of her current dance studio.

"The Dancer In You?" Blake read aloud. "What kind of name is that?"

Chase glared at him. "What? Would you like it better if she called it the Andrea West Studio or something?"

It took a few moments for the words to sink in.

"Andie? Andie has a dance studio?"

"Of course she does," Chase frowned. "You know Mom and Dad got pissed and threatened to cut me off when I wanted to work for her instead of teaching here."

Actually, he had no idea.

"It's news to me," he shot back, his voice slightly raised.

It bothered him that he hadn't known, and it was easy to take it out on his brother. They'd gotten closer in the last few years, but the competitiveness their parents had purposely fostered between them growing up still came to the fore at the slightest provocation. Chase resented that he was the "Legend," the golden boy of the family, and Blake was secretly jealous that his younger brother had lived most of his life how he wanted instead of following their parents' wishes.

Chase's frown had deepened, and his brows were furrowed in confusion. "Oh." His face cleared. "You were out of town when we had the big fight about it. They kept bringing you up, so I forgot you hadn't actually been there for it."

Blake nodded understanding. "Well, it does explain why that girl Kate's dancing seemed a little familiar. I take it from your friendliness toward her that despite going along with our parents' wishes that you still help Andie occasionally?"

To his surprise, Chase shook his head. "No. Andie didn't want to step on any toes, so she refuses to hire me part-time. I hang out there on the weekends, though. I know Kate and a couple of the other older kids from when Andie asked me to speak to the ones interested in applying for MSA admission."

"Does anyone else from the Crew work with her?" Blake asked.

"Only Missy and Hair. But Tyler Gage and Nora Clark teach there too. You know them from alumni stuff, right?"

"We've met a few times," Blake confirmed.

"So, what _did_ you think of Kate?"

Blake glanced toward the exit to make sure none of the other instructors were returning yet. "We have to reach a consensus, of course, but personally I think she'd make an excellent addition to the school."

Chase smiled.

Blake hesitated. "Do you think she'd mind if I dropped by?"

"Who?" Chase asked. "Oh, you mean Andie? I don't see why she'd have a problem with it."

It wasn't a ringing endorsement, and Blake thought he understood why from the defensiveness in Chase's tone. Andie was the best friend that Chase had ever had. She'd also been his friend longer than anyone else, sticking with him through ups and downs. Their parents were convinced Andie was secretly Chase's girlfriend, but Blake knew better. Andie was like the sister Chase used to wish they had when they were younger, and she made a much better sibling to his brother than Blake had ever been able to be. Chase was clearly afraid that Blake would say something condescending about The Dancer In You, thereby hurting Andie's feelings.

The only way to prove his brother wrong was through time and his actions.

x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x

Despite the full schedule that went with the beginning of a new academic year, Blake was able to find time to drop by Andie's dance studio the next evening. The studio was located in the area of downtown more populated with Mom and Pop small businesses as opposed to conglomerates and skyscrapers. Blake parked in the attached parking lot, glancing in his rearview mirror quickly. Deciding the suit jacket and tie he was wearing were a bit much when this was a personal visit and not a professional one, he took them both off and set them in back seat. Unbuttoning the two top buttons on his collared shirt, he got out of his car and walked around the building to the front door. He was oddly anxious about what he would find.

The shallow front section of the building was brightly lit and welcoming. The walls were dream colored aside from the area covered by an impressive mural. The two biggest sections of the mural were a scene from the Nutcracker ballet and what he recognized as the MSA Crew's performance at The Streets, though the painting style was impressionistic enough that no one person was identifiable. The rest of it was pictures of all different styles of dance being performed.

There were a couple fichus trees in the corners of the room, fake from the look of the fibrous fake-moss in their pots, and a counter that came up to a few inches above his waist-level sat on the left hand side of the room, a closed door on the right. On the counter was a bell, a small card propped beside it that read simply, "For Assistance." Blake reached over and tapped the bell. Slightly nervous, he clasped behind his back as he waited. And waited. Several minutes passed and he was about to try ringing the bell again when the interior door swinging open made it unnecessary.

"Sorry for the wait," a familiar figure rushed behind the counter, pulling a selection of brochures from a drawer and spreading them rather artfully before him. "One of our staff is off on maternity leave and her replacement doesn't start until tomorrow. Not that you needed to know all that. So, what kind of class were you…" she trailed off when she finally stood still enough to look at him. "Director Collins!" Andie swept the pamphlets back into a stack, returning them to their drawer. "What can I do for you?"

"You could give me a tour, Andie," he smiled charmingly, intrigued when a light blush colored her cheeks. "And I believe I've told you before to call me Blake."

"Sorry," she said again, shrugging. "Old habits, I guess."

Blake nodded acceptance, prompting, "How about that tour?"

"Sure. We're not MSA, but you're welcome to see what we've got."

Like Chase's had been yesterday, her tone was on the defensive side, but Blake didn't really have anything to say about the place yet. So he kept his mouth shut, waiting for her to come out from behind the counter so he could follow her.

_**To be continued…**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Reading Key****:** _Italics _indicate emphasis. Centered line breaks of multiple "x TDIY x"s equal a scene change. One "x TDIY x" left justified is a change of point of view.

x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x

x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x

Andie took only a few steps out from around the greeting station before flinging one arm out in a 'look around' gesture. "This is our foyer. A lot of studios have a practice room at the front so people passing by can see in, but I preferred to keep any unneeded distractions away from the students."

Having already looked around the room, Blake took the opportunity to study Andie. She hadn't changed a lot since the last time he had seen her. Not that he had expected her to. He did tend to see her at least once every few months or so when they both happened to be at his parents' home, she as Chase's guest. They always exchanged greetings and pleasantries, but Andie tended to be very shy around his parents, barely speaking to Chase let alone anyone else. Blake wasn't sure if it was because his parents were rich and slightly on the stiff side or because she hadn't had a two-parent family growing up. The second seemed more likely since she'd never had a problem dealing with the wealthier students and staff at MSA.

Andie's hair was pulled back in its customary ponytail, but he knew it was a few inches longer than it had been when she'd been a student at MSA. It was also slightly lighter, though whether artfully highlighted in a salon or just the work of the sun, Blake didn't know. His mother was always on his case about his hair, which was also a bit longer than it had been when he and Andie had first met. The very proper Mrs. Collins alternately accused him of looking like he was trying to blend in with his students or that he was mere inches away from being a hippy. The truth was, he liked his hair the length it was because it framed his face better and hid the fact that his ears stuck out more than they should. Andie did not share his problem. Her ears were small and rather cute.

The rest of her was in as good a shape as she had been six years ago, though she was about two inches taller. He was fairly sure her breasts were just the slightest bit bigger than they used to be. Andie had the lean, hard muscle that came from regular physical exertion, but she was still feminine. Andie was a very pretty young woman, but he'd never seen her flaunt it. It was her inner fire that really made her stand out.

"Who did the mural?" Blake asked before she could catch him staring.

"A friend of mine from when I was a kid. She was a street artist before she got her act cleaned up."

"Graffiti?"

"Yup. She's a nurse now."

Blake nodded understanding, impressed. "Why didn't she do something with her art?"

"She still does on her days off, but it's not enough to pay the bills and she a sick father," Andie replied. "Come on, I'll show you the rest of the place."

They went through the door and into a hall that split the building down the middle. The walls of the hallway were hung with posters and photo collages depicting different types of dance performances. Blake could see a staircase at the other end of the hall. There was a door on either side of them, one open and the other shut. Muffled music could be heard behind the closed door. Andie led him through the other.

"At the end of the main hall are changing rooms, though most students come dressed. On the first floor there are two studios, Hair's teaching a tap class right now in the other one. The layout is basically the same upstairs, but the studios are a little smaller and there are a couple offices and a break room."

"Wasn't he the one who was always doing his own thing as a student? I didn't think that would translate well into teaching."

He almost regretted the question when Andie stiffened, but he was curious about her answer.

"He's a bit more disciplined now. He teaches our tap and jazz classes. The first half of each class is dedicated to classic style and form, and the second half he helps them do their own thing. His classes are a great reflection of what this place is about."

"Which is?" he prompted her.

"My mother always told me to be myself any time I had trouble with a move I wanted to learn. It was the best advice anyone's ever given me, and I wanted to pass it on. The point of the studio is to help our students find the best dancer they can personally be… quite literally find _The Dancer In You_."

"That's really admirable, Andie."

She smiled, and the tension in her seemed to disappear. Apparently, he'd said the right thing.

"How does the schedule work here?" he asked.

"We have fall, spring and summer sessions. During the fall and spring, there are afternoon and early evening lessons Tuesdays through Saturdays. We're closed Sunday and Monday. I rent out the studio space to other people during the day. Some choreographers and dancers, a few pilates and yoga instructors who lack their own studio. During the summer the schedule flips. Lessons earlier in the day and renting out the space in the evenings. It's worked well so far."

"You rent it out?" he echoed. "Do you sublet?"

"No," Andie replied. "I own the building."

"Really?" he asked, surprised. "I didn't think a few years dancing would let you raise that kind of money."

"It didn't. I sold my house."

"I didn't know you owned one."

"Did you think I was a scholarship student because of lack of money? It's what Chase thought even though I had the same cell phone as him and my own computer. Truth was, my mother's house was being rented out while I was a minor. The money went to me and to Sarah for my room and board. When I came back, I sold the house so I could buy this building and remodel it."

"I didn't know," Blake said. "What made you decide to do this instead of continuing to dance professionally?"

Andie shrugged one shoulder. "Once Chase left the MSA Crew, people started leaving one by one until there weren't enough of us to book performances. A couple of us joined another crew that was on tour, but I left after a few months. Differences of opinion with the crew's leader. I moved out to L.A. for awhile, did a couple music videos and one role as an extra in a movie with a big dance sequence. But I wasn't into the whole casting couch thing and I refused to pole dance or show more than a certain amount of skin, so video jobs were limited. I couldn't get enough work to afford living there for long. So I came home. I wanted to do something where I could share my love of dance with others, and Nora had experience teaching, so… the idea became this unstoppable force from there. I found the space, other teachers, our first students; all very quickly. I guess it was what I was meant to do."

"But do you enjoy it?"

She smiled then. "Oh, yes. It's hard work, and a lot of it. But I get to dance all the time, and help other people look at the whole spectrum of dance forms to find what moves them the most."

"And how do you manage that?" Blake asked. "Does everyone sign up for all the styles of dance? Must make for some interesting classes."

x TDIY x

Andie laughed lightly. "No. Most students, or in some cases their parents, already have a style they want to study. For those that don't, we hold a showcase every other Sunday morning. The teachers perform the styles of dance they teach, and sometimes some of the students join us. Then the ones who come to see it sign up for what interests them."

"Sounds fascinating." Blake hesitated before asking, "Could I come to the next one?"

"Sure." Andie was surprised by the request; pleasantly so. "It's, um, it's not this weekend but the one after that."

"What ballet piece will you be performing?"

She gave him a confused frown before her face cleared as she realized he'd made an assumption about what classes she taught.

"Nora's the ballet instructor," she told him softly.

"You don't teach _any_ ballet?" he asked in a strangely disappointed tone.

Andie scoffed, "Come on, Blake. I was so bad you had to keep giving me extra lessons the whole time I was at MSA. You really think I should be corrupting future generations of ballerinas?"

"You were never bad, Andie. Just untrained. And you did an excellent job catching up on what you could in that year. More than most people would have been able to. I didn't _have _to continue beyond the first few weeks. I did it because I thought you enjoyed it, that you were getting something out of it. Are you saying you haven't done any ballet since you graduated?"

He sounded disappointed again, and even though she had made Nora keep it their secret, she found herself telling Blake, "Actually, Nora's picked up where you left off when we both have the time. Before I came back, I took a couple beginner courses from various studios."

He smiled brightly at her then, and she couldn't help smiling back and adding, "But I've never learned as much from anyone as I did from you. I think I need your hands-on approach and most instructors don't do that."

It was only after she'd finished saying it that Andie realized her words could be taken as a come on. Oddly, she was okay with that. And she hoped Blake would be. She had never actually seen him work as closely with anyone else as he had with her. Other instructors, when needing to correct her form, had touched quickly, impersonally, using only as much of their fingers as was absolutely necessary. The same way Blake had helped people in class.

But in their private sessions Blake had always placed his entire hand on her, holding her in place or directing her, sometimes even using his whole arm or his body pressed to hers to show her how she should be moving. It had given her a thrill, ever since the first time he had shown her how to point, but she had pushed it aside once their sessions were over. She was a student, he a teacher. And frankly she hadn't been looking for anything at the time. Andie had rather foolishly fallen into a problematic relationship with Tuck after her mother had died, wanting more than anything to feel close to someone again. By the time she was going to MSA she had realized she needed to figure out how to be on her own for awhile.

That had been years ago, and she had since adjusted. Missy often bugged her about not having a man, even more since she'd gotten her own. Her friend accused her of using her friendship with Chase as a shield against interested parties, but Missy didn't understand that Andie didn't need just any man. She needed a guy who would understand her. She'd tried to have relationships a few times after graduating, but no one could ever quite get just how much her dancing meant to her. It always took too much of her time according to them, taking her away from them more than they liked. It invariably led to accusations of infidelity, or to outright infidelity on _their_ part when they got tired of her not being there.

Although Blake hadn't understood her fascination with street dancing when they'd first met, he'd changed his mind after witnessing the Streets. He'd gone so far as to start a class in the subject, mostly made up of the MSA Crew. Andie had gotten the highest marks in the class. And Andie knew she would never have to explain to him why her personal dancing or the studio were taking up more time than a nine to five job. Not only was he the Dance Director and a full time teacher at MSA, but she also knew through Chase that Blake still trained at least two hours a day.

Not to mention that she was already very attracted to him. All things considered, Blake was pretty much perfect for her. But was he interested in her as anything other than a former student and his younger brother's friend?

Blake's smile had quirked up on one side, turning into a grin. "Maybe we should talk about some private lessons."

Andie flushed with pleasure at the thought and bit her lower lip. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," he echoed, stepping into her personal space.

Blake leaned in closer to her. But whether he'd been about to kiss her or simply continue their banter, Andie didn't find out. The sound of two sets of shoes entering the studio reached them and Blake straightened, both of them turning to see who had caused the interruption.

"Hey D, you alright?"

Tyler Gage, ever willing to play big brother to her and a host of other neighborhood kids… even now when they weren't kids anymore. Andie smiled fondly. She wouldn't have him any other way.

"Of course," she answered, waiting until he and Nora had moved even closer. "Nora, Ty, you remember Blake Collins, Dance Director at MSA. Blake, Nora and Tyler Gage."

"Hey man," Tyler greeted, holding a hand out.

Blake shook it, not faltering even when Tyler squeezed hard enough for Andie and Nora to notice. Nora elbowed the man beside her and held out her own hand for Blake to shake. She greeted him much more gently than Tyler.

"Nora Clark, right?" Blake asked.

"Actually, it's Gage now. Ty and I got married in early May," Nora said. "It's nice to see you again. We hear you accepted Kate into MSA. She's a great girl."

Blake smiled, "You did an excellent job with her."

Nora waved a hand dismissively, "I had little to do with her. She trained for years in ballet before she came here. The only lessons she took were street dancing with Andie and a short term fusion course with Tyler. I only know her because I watch Tyler's classes when I have the time."

An awkward silence fell, and Andie was hyper-aware of Blake shifting his weight from one foot to the other where he stood beside her.

"I'm sorry," he spoke. "Did the two of you have something you needed to speak with Andie about in private?"

"Business?" Andie added.

"Oh, um, no," Tyler looked at Andie as he spoke, then glanced at Nora, a grin softening his features. "News, personal news."

"It's okay," Nora said when Tyler continued to stare at her. "I doubt he's going to tell anyone we know before we do. Except maybe Chase, and that would be okay."

"Oh my god," Andie gasped in realization.

_**To be continued…**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Reading Key****:** _Italics _indicate emphasis. Centered line breaks of multiple "x TDIY x"s equal a scene change. One "x TDIY x" left justified is a change of point of view.

**Author's Note**: Sorry for the wait. I've got a lot going on, very little of it good. Like most others, I really need the economy to turn back around, just for starters. Also have a new German Shepherd puppy. Literally every minute not at work or sleeping is spent watching him so he doesn't tear the house apart (also some of the time I _am_ sleeping I have to watch him, lol). Anyway, hope you enjoy.

Thank you to all the reviewers of the previous chapter. Normally I take the time to answer each one (the signed ones anyway) to show my appreciation, but the gap between updates was so long this time that I didn't think anyone would remember what they said in their review. Never doubt that I cherish each and every one, though!

x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x

x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x

"What?" Blake felt lost.

A second later he nearly jumped when Andie squealed excitedly. She rushed to Nora, stopping her forward movement just shy of pouncing on the other woman, instead hugging her gently. Tyler got a full body tackle of an embrace seconds later.

"You guys are pregnant! This is great. Congratulations."

"Congratulations," Blake echoed when he caught up mentally.

"Thank you," the expectant couple replied.

They had both included him in their smiled thanks, but Nora immediately turned her focus back to Andie.

The older brunette wrung her hands. "This does mean that in six months, give or take, you're going to have to find someone to cover my classes for several months."

Andie laughed dismissively. "Don't worry about that, Nora. This is fantastic. You and Missy both having babies. You can start a dancing dynasty!"

Nora and Tyler joined in her laughter, and Blake smiled. It was nice to hear such happy news and lighthearted plans, even if it wasn't really connected to him. He felt a little left out, but he was still glad they had let him stay for the announcement.

Since leaving the Royal Ballet, he had acquaintances rather then friends. Even back then, the friendships he'd had were few and rather tainted by the competitive nature of their careers. He was a bit jealous of the true camaraderie evident between Andie and her friends.

She turned her head just then and smiled warmly at him, and Blake relaxed. Somehow he knew that she was going to be letting him in. Letting him be a part of this with her. And he was truly looking forward to being her friend in his own right rather than as a package deal with his brother. Blake pushed down the swell of excitement that rose when he considered the possibility of even more.

Nora reached out and clasped one of Andie's hands in hers, giving it a squeeze. "We're going to wait to tell Missy and everyone else until after the shower. You know the second she found out she would insist on sharing it with me, and she deserves for it to just be her day. Well, hers and Carlo's."

"That's really sweet of you, Nora," Andie answered. "But you realize when she _does_ find out, she's going to insist on throwing you one anyway."

Nora laughed. "I know. Well, we're going to get going. We're going to take Camille out to dinner and tell her."

Andie looked slightly surprised, but nodded. "Have fun."

"See ya tomorrow, D," Tyler waved in farewell. "Nice meeting you again, Blake."

"You, too."

Blake waited until the other two were gone before turning to Andie. She was looking at him, but he could tell she wasn't really seeing him. She appeared lost in thought.

"Who's Camille?" he asked gently, not wanting to startle her.

Andie's face cleared, and she waved one hand vaguely. "Tyler's foster sister."

"Ah," he made a noise of discovery. "You were surprised they told you before her."

Andie nodded. "Ty and I have always been close, and I've become really good friends with Nora, but I'm not really family. Camille is, at least a lot more than I am."

Blake shrugged. "Maybe they don't see it that way. I have what most people would consider a normal family, but I'm not as close to them as you obviously are to your friends."

Andie bit her bottom lip, looking slightly worried. Realizing the concern was for him and his situation, Blake decided to change the subject.

"So your friend Missy is the co-worker who's pregnant? I assume Carlo is her husband."

Andie nodded again. "Yeah. She's only a little over six months along, but her doctor wants her to stay off her feet as much as possible so we're making due without her. Speaking of, would you like to come to the shower with me? It's not a women-only thing. It's going to be a big barbecue gathering at her parents' house the Saturday before the showcase. You don't have to, of course, I know it's not a typical first…"

She trailed off, looking embarrassed, and Blake grinned crookedly.

"Date?" he finished her sentence as a question and watched as she flushed but nodded. Blake couldn't resist the urge to tease her. "Are you asking me out, Andie?"

Andie huffed and turned away from him. "So, that was the tour. I have to get back to work, I have my last class of the day to teach in twenty minutes."

Blake caught her arm gently and spun her back toward him. Andie put up less resistance than he had expected her to, and he ended up pulling her into his chest. They stared at each other, she up and he down, mere inches apart. Tension snapped to life between them immediately. It wasn't uncomfortable; rather, it felt welcome and anticipatory. Blake let his lips pull into a soft smile as he pondered briefly where things were headed.

"I'd love to," he told Andie before the silence could go on too long.

She bit her lip again and pulled back a couple feet, lessening the blow of losing physical contact with her by grinning at him. "Great. You can pick me up after my last lesson on Saturday if it's convenient, that way you won't have to worry about directions."

"Sounds good," he agreed. "But, Andie, why wait until then? We could have a more conventional date first."

Andie smiled and shook her head. "Are you forgetting the Open House at MSA this weekend? You'll be too busy with your duties."

"Chase?" Blake asked, realizing that must be where she got her knowledge of his upcoming schedule… which had unfortunately slipped his mind until she'd brought it up.

"Yeah." She blushed and peered up at him through her eyelashes. "I'll already be nervous enough without worrying about taking your time and attention away from where it needs to be. The barbecue will be after things have calmed down, and we'll both be able to relax and enjoy ourselves."

Blake moved a step closer and tilted her chin up so she was looking at him fully. He smiled warmly at her. "That sounds very nice. If it's not too much trouble, I'd like to be able to call and text you until then. We can get to know each other again a little more before the party, since we probably won't be able to while we're there."

"I'd like that," Andie agreed. "Give me your phone and I'll program my number in for you."

"Put your email address in there, too," he said as he watched her. "That way if one or the other of us is busy, we can still connect."

She nodded at the suggestion. Blake smiled slightly as he observed her. The delicate features of her face were completely concentrated on her task. He wondered what it would take for her full attention to be focused on him.

Andie handed his phone back and glanced at a round clock on the wall above the door. "I really do have to get ready for my class."

Blake smiled. "Alright. I'll see myself out. I look forward to seeing you next Saturday, and talking to you soon."

"Me, too."

x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x TDIY x

That evening Andie was at Missy's house… just two down the street from Missy's childhood home and with the same large backyard for gatherings… helping her friend make pink and blue flowers out of tissue paper. They would be used as decorations for the shower. Missy and Carlo wanted to be surprised when it came to the sex of their firstborn, so they were using both traditional colors instead of one or the other. Missy's mother was in the kitchen cooking dinner for when Carlo would be home from his shift in less than an hour. Since the doctor's suggestion to take it easy, the older woman came over every day to help out her daughter.

"So," Andie said in a lull in the conversation, "it's okay if I bring a date to the shower, right?"

"Sure, D," Missy replied as she tied a 'stem' to the flower she had just finished. "You know it's always the more the merrier around here."

Andie was watching and saw when the other young woman blinked and sat up just a bit straighter.

"Hold up. A _date_ date?"

Andie smiled slyly and waited for Missy to react further. Sure enough, a second later, the other girl shrieked before slapping a hand over her own mouth.

She called out quickly, "I'm fine, Ma. Andie just told me something exciting."

Despite the disclaimer, the older woman came to the doorway, waving a spatula at them threateningly. "Don't scare me like that, mi niña."

Missy put on a contrite face until her mother retreated back into the kitchen. She turned to Andie with a wide grin. "Spill."

"I don't know," Andie shrugged. "Blake came by to see the studio and… we just hit it off even better than usual. We were flirting and then I asked if he wanted to go. It just came out."

She left out the Nora and Tyler angle, keeping in mind Nora's plea to keep the secret for the time being.

"Blake?" Missy echoed. "You mean Chase's brother? Your former teacher?" Andie nodded, and Missy smiled. "I knew it!"

"You knew what?" Andie asked in disbelief. "It only happened a couple hours ago. What, are you psychic now?"

"No, D. I meant I knew you had a thing for him. He was the only one you ever complained about by name, and I saw you hug him at The Streets. You weren't one for spontaneous hugging back then, and you rarely let anyone in enough to let them bother you as much as he did."

"You're making this up," Andie scoffed. "If you had thought that back then, you would have mentioned it."

Missy gave Andie a serious look. "No, I wouldn't. If I had pointed out that you liked him, you would have denied it and started avoiding him. Maybe even gotten back into cutting class and all that. You had a good thing going at MSA, and I didn't want to mess that up just to tease you. It wouldn't have been the right time for the two of you then, anyway, even without the whole teacher-student thing."

"You're right," Andie admitted after a silent minute contemplating her friend's words. "Thanks, Miss."

Her friend smiled gently, and they went back to working on the shower decorations. Andie ended up staying for dinner; a home cooked meal was always preferable to takeout leftovers or a microwave meal. At first she was surprised that Missy didn't say anything further about Blake or their date, but she realized that her pregnant friend was trying not to push. Once she and Blake were on more solid footing… if their one date turned into more… Andie was sure she'd get more than an earful about it.

_**To be continued…**_


End file.
